HER || 18+ (Monsters #2) || Sequel to THEM

32 - Junior

OLIVIA

"You seem distracted," Declan said after we went over a few sentences he was teaching me. His eyes held mine, and his eyebrow raised in question. Today, he was dressed in a leather jacket, a striped t-shirt, and dark jeans. He was my age, yet appeared older sometimes.

"Yeah- I am. A little." The word on my chest burnt with their reminder. My breasts hurt, too. My hair, even though it was down, could not hide all of the hickeys Ashton had left on me.

He tilted his head, eyes looking at my neck. I ducked my head, focusing on the table. "I see...your boyfriends are here?"

"Yes."

"Am I keeping you from them?" He asked gently. "I know they don't visit often."

This was their visit after about a month. There had been times when I mentioned to Declan and Daisy just how much I missed the Creeds - unable to keep it in. I even talked to my mom about them, saying how the distance was messing me up.

And, to my surprise and horror (because I thought she had been possessed by an alien) my mother didn't say anything hurtful. She didn't say anything nice, either. But that was just her.

"Um," I bit the inside of my cheek. I wasn't going to be able to concentrate anyway. "We can stay for longer tomorrow?"

He smiled and nodded. "It's alright, Olivia. Do you need me to drop you?" The dorms were quite far from the library.

I shook my head, aware that there must be some bodyguards outside the library, and maybe some inside, too. They'd call the Creeds as soon as I step out. "Nope. It's alright. Thank you, Declan."

He smiled again. "I think I'll stay for some time. Good night, Olivia."

I picked up my bag. "Good night." I walked out of the library and looked around the night. Sure enough, I spotted an SUV. And then a sports car.

I wrapped the belt of my coat tighter around me. It was so windy tonight. The sports car drove towards me and Xerxes, dressed in dark jeans and a grey sweatshirt that stretched over his muscular body, stepped out.

He pulled me towards him. "How's my baby?"

"I'm okay," I said into his chest, huddling closer to him. He was so warm and so...big. My large wall against the windy night. "How are you?"

He rubbed my back. "I'm good now. Get in. It's too cold."

I hummed and let him pick me up and put me in the passenger seat. There were times I was embarrassed about being clingy. But he looked so warm and cuddly.

He shut the door after making me wear my seat belt and soon enough, we were driving back to the apartment.

He rubbed my thigh and then took my hand, intertwining our fingers. "Is he mean to you?"

"Um - who?"

"Declan."

I frowned. "No. He's nice."

He hummed in return, thumb drawing circles on my hand. "Is he good at teaching?" He asked. "We can hire an actual teacher, you know."

"Yeah but Declan is my...friend," I said. "I mean, I think he is. I don't know. And he is good at teaching," I assured him. "He doesn't make fun of me when I say the wrong thing."

"That's nice," he said. "If he is such a good friend...why don't we invite him for dinner tomorrow?" He asked.

"So you can scare his soul out of him?"

He smirked. "Maybe."

"I already suck at making friends," I said. "You can't scare away the ones I have."